- Date
- July 11, 2015, 07:00 local (11:00 UTC)
- Place
- Batavia, NY
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N434LBBrandt Leroy E Challenger II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 12, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- Rochester FSDO
- FAA report
- 20150711018499A
- Case key
- 91565
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent loss of directional control.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot of the experimental light sport airplane was performing touch and go takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. He stated that the second landing was "hard," but he continued the flight and performed a third takeoff and landing. The third landing was also hard, and the airplane bounced. The nose landing gear separated, and the airplane departed the runway and came to rest in the grass, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Factual narrative
The pilot of the experimental light sport airplane was performing touch and go takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. He stated that the second landing was "hard," but he continued the flight and performed a third takeoff and landing. The third landing was also hard, and the airplane bounced. The nose landing gear separated, and the airplane departed the runway and came to rest in the grass, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N434LB
- Reported as
- Brandt Leroy E Challenger II
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- LB CH2 0207 987
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 83.5
- Engine
- Rotax 503, 50 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Willard P. White
- Registered owner
- Willard P. White
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental light sport (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · January 15, 2015
- Departed
- GVQ · Batavia, NY
- Destination
- GVQ · Batavia, NY
- Airport
- GVQ · Genesee county airport, runway 28, 5,499 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Sport Pilot
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Sport pilot
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 243 total · 2 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 240° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- ROC, 22 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 6, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.